Monday, February 22, 2010

I've invested far too many hours in the past few days thinking about the meaning of life. Mostly, I'm realizing that the only life for which I can divine meaning is my own. I'm not suggesting that other lives don't have meaning, I'm simply not in any position to presume what that meaning could be. For me, as far as I can tell, thoughts and ideas are the meaning of my life. My best guess for those things that comprise the meaning of my life are the things that make me feel most alive. I feel most alive when I'm developing my own ideas and exploring those of others. The most incendiary catalyst for thought is the visual image, more specifically, the visual narrative. Of all the visual mediums, motion picture speaks loudest to me. This short film, "Nuit Blanche," is a reminder of what I love about visual narrative. It's clear enough for one to begin exploration of meaning, but is ambiguous enough to not cage that exploration. [The following are my thoughts on this short film's meaning. Skip down if you don't want my views tainting your own]. Very simply, I think it is about love. One interpretation I had was that it is a memory of the first time those two fell in love, and that the story is actually a flashback to the happiest moment in their lives as their car crashes. It could also be slightly more fantastic, in that it was a story of love avoided. This scenario involves us seeing, however briefly, the potentially tragic love life those two could have had if they had gotten together. Either way, it's an absolutely arresting visual experience that I am only too happy to share.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

"Skhizein" is a short film by Jeremy Clapin about a man who is forced, by forces out of his control, to live 91cm to left. If you don't know what I mean by that, I'm not surprised, but all will make sense after a viewing. This short, like all great things, does something new in a way where you can't imagine it being done any other way.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

When I first saw this video, I was reminded repeatedly before hand that everything I was about to see was computer generated (CG). I said "okay," and the video started. What I saw stunned me. This is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful videos I've ever seen. If this had just been shot with a regular camera, it would have still been gorgeous, but it wouldn't have affected me as much. Something about imagining that everything I was seeing looked so real, and so beautiful, yet all of it was generated with computer bits and bytes all working together in this harmonious performance that I really connected with. So here it is, The Third & The Seventh.

I finally broke down and bought a digital camera. I bought the Canon Rebel t1i 500D. I've been having a lot of fun with it, and hopefully I'll be putting something up every day, now that I don't have to wait for development time or buying film.